Beautiful
by dresdendollontheprowl
Summary: A story of race, love, and tolerance.


A/N: I am not a racist. In fact, I stand up for the rights for everyone, black, white, orange, red, yellow, green, gay, straight, bi, cat, dog, whatever you are. So if you think this will offend you, though I doubt it will, don't read it. I never meant to offend anyone. Also, more book than musical, but does have musical…um…just read.

* * *

The carefree days at Shiz…a time he'd never forget. Dances, Galinda, friends, Galinda, drinking, Galinda…did he mention Galinda? Yes, he was certain he had found a keeper; he could see it in her eyes. She was funny, nice, not to forget beautiful. Everything he had ever wanted. She could drink all night and still look perfect the next morning. But, yet, he felt like there was something missing. A piece of his soul was not where it should be…he was never a deep thinker, but he could _feel_ this.

Just as he was trying to figure out whether it was just the fact he had one to many to drink last night or a serious tumor in his heart, he came across Miss Elphaba sitting on a bench. Her nose was stuck in a book, her long braid over her shoulder. Not thinking anything else about it, he started to walk past until he heard a loud jest.

Standing behind her were three boys shouting insults to the green girl. Still, she kept her head in her book, ignoring all the cruel words. He was stunned at the incredible skill she possessed. But as he looked closer, he could see her sad eyes look up at him. She almost reminded him of that trapped Lion they had saved. She had cleared his conscience by helping him free that Lion, he could return the favor.

"Hey, you little punks!" He called to the boys, "Get away from her!"

It was astounding how rapid those lads could run as soon as they saw him calling them out. There was a plus to being the most popular leader in this school, everyone loves you and fears you.

Elphaba, though, got up and ran past him. He did a double take and ran after her. Another startling thing happened today. Not only did he learn of Elphaba's skill of ignorance, but she was an awfully fast runner.

She soon winded down and he was able to catch up to her. They were somewhere behind the school, surround by tall willow trees. The sun was high in the sky and its bright rays bellowed down onto the couple.

"Why did you run?" Fiyero asked her, still trying to catch his breath.

"Why did you follow?" Elphaba sat down, her back against the willow's thick trunk.

Seeing this was going to go no where, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat next to her. He chose to ignore the fact she scooted away from him. Running his hand through his dark hair, he cleared his throat and spoke again.

"I'm sorry for what happened back there." He said.

"Don't be sorry," Elphaba gave him an unhappy smile

"I know how you feel." He confessed, looking away from her and up to branches of the willow.

"No, you don't." Elphaba got to her feet and turned her back from him. "You are…popular!"

Fiyero flinched as Elphaba spat out the ending to the sentence and followed her lead. He hesitated to answer her. He was popular, he was well liked, and he was handsome and funny. But he was different.

"Look at me, Elphaba!" Fiyero belted out. "You may be green, but I'm as black as the night sky!"

He watched as the green girl turned and looked at him. Her eyes were squinted, as if she didn't believe what she saw. A soft crunching of leaves was the only noise between them. Saying the words actually made it real. He had pushed that self doubt so far back in his mind he had forgotten about it. Now that he visited it, his past came rushing back to him.

"I'm a different color than them," He sighed, looking down. "I've always been. I'm not that beautiful snow colored skin everyone else has…it was something I struggled with too. I mean…I…"

He suddenly lost all power of voice. Everything anyone had ever said about his skin was coming back to him. When he was littler, everyone used to pick on him, calling him dirty snow. When he gotten older the children got more creative, and soon he was called Oz's very own shit pile. The more he took of the insults, though, the stronger he became. Ignorance was bliss, the saying went. Gaining confidence was the best thing that ever happened to him, but now he couldn't help but wonder…did his friends say the same thing about him behind his back as they did to Elphaba's face.

"You are beautiful." Elphaba said, her glasses slipping down her nose as she bowed her head.

Blinking a few times, Fiyero finally smiled. He was beautiful. He already knew that. But as his confidence level rose, he saw that Elphaba's remained at zero. Bold was the only move he knew. And bold he was as he grabbed Elphaba's hand. He could feel the reluctance from her to let go, but he rose their connected hands up.

"You know," He motioned with his eyes towards their hands, "Black looks good with green."

She smiled. A thousands butterflies fluttered around in his stomach as she moved her fingertips away from his hand and up to her exposed collarbone. He moved to grab the other hand, but she protested. Saying she had to go, she kicked up her heels and fled once again. Deciding not to chase after her, he sat back down against the willow tree, allowing the soft crunching of the forest animals be his only companion.

_The next day, as he joked around with the nerdy munchkin boy who sat next to him in History class, he saw Miss Elphaba sitting down next to him. She quickly got out her text book and wrote something down. Although she ignored him, he couldn't help to notice the new black smock she wore. Also, that odd feeling was no where to be found._


End file.
